The Quarter
by xxxAriha
Summary: Sequel to Species. "I wanted kids. I wanted a life that didn't involve all of this. But its the life I have now and you owe me." Klaus plots to reclaim the Quarter and he has two of his best hybrids as his assistants. Meanwhile, Jay must watch out for Marcel and his vampires because if she's caught, it'll cost her her life. As for Kat, she works to infiltrate Marcel's inner circle
1. Chapter 1

Jay hovered outside the room, listening to the werewolf messing with the sheets. Footsteps announced the arrival of someone and Jay prayed it was not Klaus. If he saw how close she was to Hayley, he would have been pissed. After all, to Hayley, she wasn't suppose to exist. Nor was Kat.

"You alright?"

She relaxed. It was Elijah, not Klaus, and she was coming to realize that Elijah had been showing a considerable amount of interest in the lovely mother to be.

"So, I'm curious," Elijah began, drawing Jay's attention back.

He was rarely curious.

"In all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?"

Jay suppressed a groan. Every possible question she had was bottled up because, once again, she was a secret. She suspected that meant Klaus intended to use her to spy.

"About having a miracle baby with a psychotic one-night stand?" Hayley asked.

"About being a mother."

""I...I was abandoned when I was born and my adoptive parents kicked me out the second that I turned into a wolf. So...I don't really know how I feel about being a mother because I, I never really had a good one."

Damn. Jay did not want to be feeling bad for the bitch but she couldn't help it. She hadn't had the best relationship with her parents which was why she and her brother had been so close. The prodigal son and his screw up sister. You'd think there'd be a sibling rivalry but their parents had only made their relationship stronger.

"I will always protect you," Elijah declared." You have my word on that."

Jay pushed away from the wall, leaving them to whatever was left of their conversation, wanting to be tucked away so as not to be discovered from the just arrived Klaus. The girl was in the family for only a short time, far shorter than when Jay had been introduced and already, Elijah was making her feel at home.

* * *

Kat enjoyed the Quarter, despite its smell. She found herself drawn to the shopping, the food and, surprisingly, the people. Though it did help that she was the Quarter Master's booty call, something that did not sit well with her. If she was going to have a relationship, she wanted one that meant something. And preferably with a guy not crushing on some human. But, alas, Klaus had already caught wind of her affair with his former pet, courtesy of his darling older half brother, and had ordered her to drag it out as long as possible. Well, more like compelled. She was dragged from her thoughts by the buzzing of her phone, answering without really looking. Only one person would call her while she was walking the Quarter, usually because he was watching her.

"I do not expect so much attention from a one night stand. Well, a three month one night stand," she greeted, making sure to correct herself.

"You wound me," Marcel chuckled.

Laughter was a good sign. He was still blissfully enjoying Klaus's fake apology, thinking that his sire was content to play visitor rather than King.

"I've been meaning to password protect my phone. Many thanks for reminding me," she said, recalling that she hadn't given the charming vampire her number, no matter how much he'd insisted.

"Anytime," Marcel replied, his voice still warm with laughter. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

Kat almost wanted to laugh. She had thought he was cute but at the same time, she knew pretty faces often hid a brilliantly dastardly mind. She and Jay were prime examples. She knew Marcel must have suspected that she was somehow connected to Klaus. Though she'd taken great pains to merge with the background, she'd shown up publicly around the time that Klaus had. And Marcel was the type not so blinded by pretty eyes to ignore very convenient coincidences.

"I'm compelled to spend a quiet night in with my friend. Movies, dinner, dancing. You know, the whole nine yards," Kat replied.

She smirked, remembering Jay's attempt to actually compel Kat into spending time with her. After all, they rarely saw each other, both working different angles in Klaus's attempt at dethroning the Prince.

"Why not bring your friend over tonight?"

Marcel's voice promised something very explicit, making Kat role her eyes.

"She's not interested in you. Or anyone else," Kat said, pausing to study a rack of colorful scarves.

Jay had made it abundantly clear that she was swearing off men forever. Kat gave her a week before her friend went back to lurking in single bars, though New Orleans was not the safest place for her and Marcel was not her biggest fan.

"Shame. I suspect you keep very beautiful company."

"Why are you so eager for me to come over?" Kat asked.

She knew why. After all, it was suspicious to have a phone and to only have one contact while every recent incoming call was a blocked number. She was a ghost, figuratively of course.

"I enjoyed our night together. As I always do," Marcel purred.

Kat almost smiled. Of course he enjoyed it. She enjoyed it as well. Because while he would look through her phone, come morning, when he would be sleeping in or showering, she'd grill his men and she was still a bit pissed that he'd driven all her werewolf brethren out.

"Let's play a game," she suggested. "If you find Jay and I, you'll be able to bask in my amazingness. If not, bummer for you."

"I accept," Marcel declared, sounding eager.

Kat's smile darkened a tad. Oh, poor fool, he had no idea just how good she was at hiding.

"Let the games begin."

And then she hung up.

* * *

Jay leaned against the doorframe, ignoring Elijah's little battle plan. He knew nothing of her history in this town, automatically assuming that she'd be infiltrating Marcel's little empire as well as Kat when she was merely a glorified nanny cam. She crossed her arms, sighing and blocking Elijah out more. She'd loved the Quarter once but all the talk about Marcel, his army and Klaus Jr was making her want to flee it. Which she should have done. Marcel wanted her head on a spike for bringing Mikael to New Orleans. After all, he'd been tracking her, who was not so adapt at remaining hidden as the Mikaelsons. But she'd gotten better. And now, she was back, her last tie, Jane-Anne, dead at Marcel's hands. The sound of Elijah crying out in pain made her jump back to the present, surprised to see that Klaus had stabbed him. She stared in surprise at the two brothers.

"Forgive me," Klaus requested. "My brother. There is no power in love. Mercy makes you weak. Family makes you weak."

Elijah was beginning to collapse, using Klaus to stay up while he cast a quick glance Jay's way, silently asking for help. She nodded to let him know she'd do what she could. Klaus, despite having just killed his brother, yet again, embraced him.

"If I am going to win this war, I have to do it alone," he whispered.

Jay suppressed her anger at his statement as he downplayed her and Kat's role in his little takeover scheme. She hid that emotion, as well as the surprise that he'd killed Elijah, as Klaus turned to her. She now had a look of indifference, as if she was not worried that Klaus would kill her as well. She gave him a smirk.

"What's next?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Klaus! Get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother, you narcissistic backstabbing wanker!"

Jay groaned, sitting up a bit and nudging Kat.

"Rebekah's here. You'd think she'd keep it down," Jay yawned.

Kat barely stirred.

"Welcome to Mikaelson Manor," she replied.

"If she comes in here, I'll kill her," Jay declared, laying back down.

She and Kat had crashed in her room after a night out of dining and dancing, too tired to really focus on the movie, which was some God awful vampire romance saga. If, while they'd been out, they could have avoided Marcel's henchvamps, who were looking for the best booty call Marcel would ever have, Jay would have said she almost felt human again.

"Less Rebekah, more your phone," Kat grumbled. "A witch wants to talk."

"That witch can wait," Jay replied, settling back into sleep.

* * *

_"Tell me why I'm here again," Jay demanded, trudging along with Rebekah._

_"I need to find Sophie to find Elijah and besides Niklaus, you're the only one who knows where she is," Rebekah replied._

_"And you only want to talk?" Jay checked._

_She would not have Rebekah laying a hand on a witch in the Quarter. Not while she was in town. They'd suffered enough at the hands of Marcel._

_"Yes," was Rebekah's exasperated answer. "Just to talk."_

* * *

Jay hovered nearby, listening to Rebekah reminisce about Marcel and Klaus's first meeting while simultaneously striking down the Quarter witches carefully laid plans with ease. At that moment, Jay didn't care, letting rage boil in her like a boiling poison. And Klaus just happened to be the target of that rage. How dare he! He had of course lied to the boy, Marcel, when he'd given the boy his name. He used it for one reason and one reason only. And Jay hated him immensely for it.

"Let's go," Rebekah said, drawing Jay's attention back.

She noticed the traces of anger on Jay's face.

"What's wrong?"

She was instantly alarmed, looking around for the source.

"Your narcissistic, backstabbing wanker of a brother stole my unborn son's name. I wonder what's the matter," Jay snapped.

She turned, her hair brushing Rebekah's face as she stomped away, trying not to scream at the unfairity of it all. Klaus had bestowed the name on his "son" and now he was to have a child. Damn him!

* * *

Kat slid past Marcel's guards, smirking. They were his trusted few, the daywalkers. Such a clever name. But they didn't know a thing about her sneaking skills. But she wondered, had Marcel finally figured out who she was, what she did for a living? Did he think, if he did know, that she was here to do the very same thing to him? She could have many times but she had chosen to stick to the plan, to follow Klaus's orders to the letter. Sometimes it was fun to play the game. A hand caught her wrist and she got ready to fight, in case they tried to drag her back to Marcel. He thought her a simple vampire. Wouldn't it surprise him to find out she was a hybrid. The one grabbing her was indeed one of Marcel's daywalkers but he let go as soon as she faced him, holding out an invitation. Kat smiled, taking it and giving a small curtsy.

"Many thanks," she said, tucking it into her clutch purse.

The daywalker nodded, rejoining his friends. Was that really it? She'd take it. It meant Marcel was still in blissful ignorance and she was still in the clear.

"They're planning something," Jay declared.

She stirred her tea, eyes on Sophie. She had stopped by the house, swapping her black jacket for a blue one, as a sign that she was not an enemy of the Quarter witches.

"So, you don't trust Rebekah?" Sophie asked.

"Or Hayley," Jay added. "But I tolerate them. Rebekah because you can't kill an Original. Hayley because she's carrying my baby."

Sophie's brown eyes focused on Jay fully, nothing like Jane-Anne though sometimes, if Jay wasn't paying close enough attention, she could almost swear that she was talking to Jane-Anne rather than Sophie.

"You really think Hayley will just hand over her baby?"

Jay smirked. Yet more proof that Sophie was not Jane-Anne. If she had been, she'd know that Jay usually got what she want.

"She will or I'll kill her."

Jay rose from her chair, stretching.

"Jay," Sophie said, reaching out with surprising speed.

Jay paused, locking eyes with her again.

"Marcel knows you face. His daywalkers know your face," she warned. "Jane-Anne never told me why but she did tell me that. Be careful."

Jay grinned.

"I know how to stay hidden."

With that, she vanished, leaving zero trace that she'd ever been there.

* * *

She had insisted and Kat found herself unable to say no. A party where Klaus's plans would get them closer to their goal? Ugh, even Kat admitted she wanted to attend. So she'd gone out, bought a lovely black ball gown, for she was far too evil for white, and a matching black masquerade mask and here she was at the party, looking amazing. And Marcel still chose to entertain himself with a human in white, very much like Jay was. She'd chosen a white gown which she'd removed the long skirt so that it only reached her knees and revealed her signature black boots which was driving Kat crazy.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Kat asked.

Jay smirked.

"Absolutely," she assured her friend. "The last time Marcel saw me, I had short hair. It's not like I'm going to approach him directly either."

"But why take the risk at all?" Kat inquired.

Jay scanned the large room.

"I hate what Klaus has taken from me but what he offered me, well, that almost makes it worth it," she admitted. "I know the only way the baby will be safe is with Klaus as king. Marcel has to go. And go he shall."

She eyed Kat.

"Unless you object?"

"I just feel it's a waste of good looks," Kat said.

"He's not dead yet," Jay pointed out. "Enjoy him while you can."

"Besides the spell keeping Hayley here, why not take the baby when it's born and leave New Orleans?"

Jay turned fully to Kat, her blue eyes bright, despite the mask she wore.

"Once upon a time, I lived with the Mikaelsons. I was family. And because of that, I was a princess, treated as one by humans who feared what the Mikaelsons would do to them. I may never have that back but that doesn't change that New Orleans was the last place I was truly happy."

She gave a weak smile.

"Until I met you, of course."

Kat returned the smile. She knew that feeling, that desire to have a place to call home. Especially since she was about to get the one thing she wanted most in the world.

"Alright, I get it," Kat said.

Jay grinned.

"Good. Now then."

She turned back to the party.

"Shall we watch Klaus play the prince?"

With that, Jay swept into the crowd, every bit the princess she claimed she once was. Kat felt some pity though. She'd seen how Klaus looked at Marcel's human and sometimes at Hayley. He was growing fond of them, despite what he wanted to admit. Kat feared that, if such was true, he may go back on his deal with Jay and she'd have done all this for nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

_ "It's dusty and I hate it," Kat declared, heaving a box from a muddled pile of other boxes. _

_"Welcome to Mikaelson Manor," Jay retorted._

_She carried two boxes down the stairs, freezing fast before backtracking, dropping the boxes. In a heartbeat, she was gone, crouching amongst the dust and boxes. Kat raised an eyebrow in question before Hayley's head popped up._

_"Um, did you drop some boxes?" she asked._

_Kat gave her a blank look._

_"Yes," she said. "Much easier than carrying them all. If they hit you, you have my sincere apologies."_

_"What are you bringing them down for?"_

_Hayley stepped further into the attic, her back still to Jay's hiding spot._

_"Klaus's orders," Kat replied. "You know how it goes. When he barks, you respond. Or get your head torn off."_

_Kat leaned forward a bit._

_"Between you and me, I prefer my head where it is."_

_Hayley smiled._

_"That sounds like Klaus," she agreed._

_She glanced around, taking in all the boxes that sat separate from the rest._

_"Do you need help?" she asked._

_"These boxes are pretty heavy, especially for a mother to be," Kat replied. _

_She offered a smile, a fake one she used on Marcel sometimes when he thought she actually cared to hear more about his accomplishments. _

_"Do you know what you're having?" she asked._

_She could almost hear Jay's interest grow and resisted the urge to roll her eyes._

_"A girl," Hayley responded._

_"A girl," Kat repeated. "Fascinating."_

_Hayley suddenly looked uncomfortable._

_"well, if I can't help you here, I'll just go back to reading," she announced, backing out._

_"Have fun," Kat threw over her shoulder, returning to her boxes._

_As soon as Hayley was gone, Jay popped up._

_"Really? You had to ask what the baby was?" Jay demanded, scooping up her boxes._

_"Yep," Kat replied. "But look, you're having a daughter."_

_"Don't patronize me," Jay snapped._

_"I can't help it," Kat admitted._

_She turned to Jay._

_"We hunt vampires for witches and werewolves. Believe it or not, we do have enemies and those enemies would love to see us dead. They don't care that we're hybrids or that Klaus is our sire. They want to hurt us. You really think it's a good idea to take a child from this place?"_

_Jay's eyes narrowed._

_"At least here, she'll have a mother and a father. An entire kingdom. She'll be safe," Kat went on. "Not the most stable of places but Klaus will love her. You didn't see him with Hayley that night. The way he smiled before he left."_

_Kat jumped as Jay threw the boxes down, vanishing before Kat could get another word in._

* * *

"Are you still mad at me?"

Jay ignored Kat, focusing on her reflection in the vanity. Her hair was temporary dyed with red. She intended to attend the Dauphine Street music festival.

"I'm still upset, yes," Jay admitted.

She stood, stripping off the bathrobe and revealing the black mini skirt and the white corset she wore beneath. Knowing Jay, the corset was real and probably hard to breathe in yet she still managed to bend over enough to pull on her fishnet tights and her knee high boots.

"That's what you're wearing?" Kat asked.

She was wearing low rider jeans and a green baby doll shirt, her midriff exposed but in a classy way. Her black stilettos waited by the door with her purse which was filled with what any teenage girl would have, just in case Marcel decided to purse dive. If he did, he'd be disappointed. All she had was her wallet filled with cash but no I.D., a pack of gum and her phone. Nothing suspicious.

"I dress to attract. And attract I shall," Jay replied.

She moved, as though to pass Kat, who caught her wrist.

"Jay, we were strong because we were united against a common enemy. First the vampires we hunted. Then Klaus. Now we are united against Marcel," she said.

Jay opened her mouth to respond, her ringtone interrupting her. Kat backed off, shaking her head.

"Is that your new hybrid friend?" she asked disdainfully.

Her eyes widened.

"He's why you're going to the festival isn't it? Why you're taking this risk?"

Jay smirked.

"It's not at risk. Besides, I like the festival," she said. "And no, Tyler's not why I'm going."

"But it is why you're going like this?" Kat assumed, gesturing with one arm sweep at the outfit Jay wore.

"He's got a girlfriend," Jay pointed out.

"Never stopped you before," Kat shot back, though her tone was playful.

They were almost settling in to their usual banter.

"How's Tyler going to feel about your future daughter?" Kat asked

Jay's face dropped so fast and she snapped her phone shut. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked away, actually walked, every footstep heavy with anger. Kat crossed her arms, sitting down on the stool before the vanity, only a little bothered by the crumbling relationship with her friend.

* * *

"This is amazing," Tyler declared.

They walked through the Quarter, admiring the decorations of the festival. Jay smiled gently.

"Welcome to New Orleans," she said in response, looping an arm through Tyler's. "I missed this city."

Tyler already knew why she left and didn't bother to ask. Instead he just smiled. Jay smiled his way, remembering Kat's gentle but playful scoldings about Tyler's number one girl before her friend had ruined it with criticisms about their JUST FRIENDS relationship.

"I hear some people find New Orleans very romantic. Even the French Quarter," she hinted, nudging him playfully.

Tyler snorted.

"Yeah, a city swarming with vampires is super romantic," he said.

Jay paused.

"Something wrong with you and the mistress?" she asked.

Tyler let out a breath of nervous air.

"You already knew I blew off school," he said, voice somehow checking to see if she remembered that detail.

Jay crossed her arms, waiting.

"Caroline thinks I'm with a wolf pack helping them settle," he admitted.

Jay shook her head, slowly, showing her disappointment in him.

"What?" he demanded.

"You never and I mean, NEVER, lie to your girlfriend," Jay declared. "Especially if she can snap you in two in a second."

"So, what do I tell her?" Tyler asked. "That when I left town to escape Klaus, I had help from a mystery hybrid no one is suppose to know about and we kept in touch? That I'm in New Orleans with said hybrid because-"

He drifted off, trapped beneath the intensity of Jay's gaze.

"Sorry," was all he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

They walked a few more steps in silence, making Tyler squirm a bit. He wanted Jay to say something.

"You look different with red hair," he remarked offhandedly.

Jay smirked.

"I'm aware. But I'm in no mood to start a witch hunt, so to speak," she said.

"Because Marcel wants you dead," Tyler affirmed.

"He doesn't want me dead," Jay corrected. "He wants to try to get me under his thumb. If that fails, he will no doubt kill me."

She looked a bit sad.

"He knows how close I am to Klaus," she went on. "He'll try to turn me against him. Marcel rebuilt this city after Mikael. He's not going to let anyone get in his way. Not even his sire."

"No werewolves and no witches. Literally a vampire paradise," Tyler remarked.

"There are witches," Jay corrected. "He just has a block on their powers."

"How?" Tyler asked.

Jay smirked.

"It's my fault," she said. "That he ever found Davina."

"Who's Davina?" Tyler urged.

Jay opened her mouth to speak but suddenly felt as if a thousand eyes were on her. She glanced around inconspicuously. Most of those glancing at her were vampires, a few humans that were checking her out. It was the vampires that troubled her. They were Marcel's coveted few. Daywalkers. Jay nudged Tyler who looked at her. She made it look like they had locked eyes.

"I think they recognize me," she informed him, trying to look like she was compelling him.

He nodded, understanding what she was pretending to do.

"Go tell Kat I'll be at the cemetery, okay?" she requested. "And that if anything happens to me, tell her not to try to save me."

Tyler nodded, backing away just as the Daywalkers decided to start closing in. Jay smirked, touching one stray curl of red hair. It felt stiff and coarse, so different from the somewhat silky texture it usually had.

"All that trouble for nothing," she sighed.

Then she broke into a run, keeping a human pace, at least until she broke free of the humans.

* * *

Klaus carried Hayley into the house, Rebekah trailing after him. He knew something was wrong when he opened the door, finding Kat awaiting them in the front hall. Her clothes were torn, like she'd been in a fight, a few steadily healing scratches decorating her face and arms. Rebekah recovered first, taking a few steps around Klaus and touching one of the scratches.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked.

Kat eyed Hayley, who was somewhat conscious and Klaus understood. Jay.

"I'll go put Hayley to bed," he said. "Then we can talk."

Kat nodded and headed into the parlor, Rebekah meanwhile turning to Klaus, asking him silently what happened. He fixed her with a look and sped to Hayley's room.

"What's wrong?" she mumbled, sleepily.

"Marcel," was all Klaus said.

He tried to be as gentle as possible, resting her on her bed and leaving her to find her own comfortable spot as he draped a blanket over her. She found it easily, falling asleep while Klaus turned away and sped to the parlor. Kat was resting on a couch, sipping tea from a tea cup.

"You made tea?" Klaus asked incredulous.

"There's blood in it," Kat said. "Plus tea helps me calm my nerves."

"What happened?" Rebekah demanded,

"Jay went to the festival," Kat began.  
"That idiot," Klaus snarled. "Marcel's vampires-"  
"She took steps to avoid being recognized," Kat said blankly. "But they still recognized her beneath red hair. She's hiding in the cemetery."

Rebekah nodded.

"Good, she should be safe there. Now how did you get all these scratches?"

Kat smiled grimly.

"Let's just say Marcel will be missing some lackies," she said.

Rebekah nodded, looking Klaus's way.

"We need to get Jay out of the cemetery," she declared. "Before any witches try and go to the cemetery."

Klaus nodded his agreement.

"It is a problem," he agreed. "But one that will have to wait until morning when Marcel's Daywalkers are the only ones skulking around. Less chance of any survivors."

Kat said nothing, sipping her tea in silence.

* * *

_"Jay!" Kat yelled._

_Jay stopped running, skidding a bit but stopping pretty fast considering the speed she'd been running at. Like Kat, she had splashes of blood on her._

_"Tyler got to you in time," Jay breathed in relief._

_"Cemetery's that way," Kat pointed out._

_Jay smirked._

_"I don't want them to know where I am. I've been leading them away."_

_"The Daywalkers had a job to do and sent some of their night counterparts after you," Kat informed her._

_"And I suspect they're dead now," Jay remarked._

_Kat nodded._

_"Thanks," Jay said, wrapping her arms around Kat._

_Kat hugged her back._

_"Get to the cemetery before anymore of them come," Kat instructed. "I'll tell Klaus."_

_With that, Jay was gone and Kat headed for home. _

Kat set her tea down and rose, drawing Rebekah and Klaus's attention away from their conversation and to her.

"If you need me, I'll be in my room,' she informed them.

She expected Klaus, the infamous taskmaster to object, to give her some pointless job. Instead he nodded her way.

"Go get some rest. We'll need you in the morning."

Kat nodded, not fully knowing what to say. She was just glad Klaus had his uses. It made him less of a menace.


	4. Chapter 4

Jay paced. It was one thing she found comfort in and even that wasn't helping. Her hair was now coarse with the weight of unwanted hair coloring in it. She needed a bath or a shower. Badly. At least she had food. Tyler'd brought it and then blown town. Good. He needed to vanish before Marcel's Daywalkers got it into their heads to question him. And then they'd fight out that he was a hybrid. Which was not good. Jay paused in front of Jane-Anne's grave, staring at the headstone.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't agreed to the Harvest," she said, crouching.

Jane-Anne hadn't been the one to save her, to drag her bloody, nearly dead body from the Quarter's unforgiving streets. Nevertheless, she'd remained in the Quarter, with Deveraux family, watching thousands of them die, replaced by new generations. Jay let the wind stir up her hair. Somehow, she'd been closer to this generation of Deveraux, though Sophie did not share her sentiments. She remembered the explanation Jane-Anne had given her, why she'd broken Marcel's law, at their first meeting in years. Monique. Always Monique. Jay sighed deeply. Davina had to die. And then, Monique would come back. Or so Jay assumed, from what she'd been told by Jane-Anne. Her first Harvest, the one's the witches had invited her to, hadn't lasted long. The smell of blood on the wind had chased her away before she sank her teeth into them.

"I miss you, Jane-Anne," Jay whispered, her voice lost on the wind. "You have no idea how much."

* * *

Kat clickity clacked behind Marcel, nose curling at the dust in the small church. She'd heard rumors about it, not very flattering ones at that. But despite the dust and the bad reputation, the church was nice.

"Stay right here," Marcel instructed. "I'll be right back."

Kat decided to oblige, taking a few steps into the shadows so she'd be hidden from the eyes of the prying Father. He hadn't seen her yet, busy sweeping.

"Look who's back," the Father greeted. "Here to visit your prisoner in the attic?"

"Lay off," Marcel sneered. "She's not a prisoner. And I'm moving her tonight. Too many people know where she is."

"I have been hearing about what you've been up to since I've been out of town. Using that girl to keep the witches from doing magic?"

Kat's ears perked up. She knew the French Quarter witches were heavily suppressed, crushed under Marcel's hand. Magic was forbidden and even if they wanted to, they couldn't just leave. They were the type of witches who drew their power from their ancestors. And their ancestors were here. In New Orleans. In the Quarter.

"All respect, Father K," Marcel said. "If you're going to defend the witches' rights, we got nothin' to talk about."

With that, Marcel gave Father K the brush off, heading up the stairs. Kat, meanwhile, emerged from the shadows, vamp-speeding to the man. He seemed surprised to see her and she placed a finger on her lips.

"Now then, Father. How about a few answers to some of my questions?" she requested.

She tried to look harmless but figured this guy knew vampires could look innocent one second and then rip out your throat the next. At the same time, she would not reveal her true purpose, to help Klaus take down Marcel. When caught between two evils, people usually chose the evil they were already use to avoiding. So Kat would simply act like an overbearing girlfriend. She'd seen her sisters do so plenty of times.

"What does Marcel have up there?" Kat asked, indicating the ceiling with her eyes.

* * *

_"Jaiyana!"_

_Jay untensed, still crouching over Jane-Anne's grave, having not realized she'd been just crouching there, stiller than any human could ever be. Slowly, she rose, muscles popping from their locked positions. Sabine, the witch, awaited her. _

_"Sabine," Jay greeted, coldly._

_She never liked Sabine who had treated her like the Quarter's pet rather than a vampire in their debt. Sabine hurried closer, looking haunted._

_"You are living with the Original, Klaus, correct?"_

_As if she needed to ask. Sabine had seen the pictures, even had one stashed away. Her own hidden treasure. Jay crossed her arms over her chest, realizing that the corset had not been a good idea. Maybe listening to Kat wasn't such a bad idea. _

_"Yes," she replied, realizing Sabine was still waiting for an answer._

_"The baby," Sabine said in hushed tones. "Will be the death of us witches."_

_Jay's eyes widened._

_"What?"_

* * *

Kill the baby. That had been Sabine's instructions. Jay staggered home, the weight of what Sabine had told her pressing down on her. She stumbled onto the steps, leaning heavily against the front door. At the rate she was going, Klaus's werewolf baby mama would see her. But she couldn't care. Wouldn't. She was torn. She wanted a baby, not just this one, but she also had a sworn duty to witches, everywhere, not just the Quarter. The Quarter, though, was the one place where her debts would never be paid. No, no, she couldn't kill a child. She wouldn't. But she couldn't keep it, her, her. It was a girl. Jay sunk onto the porch, trying to regain her composure, burying her face in her hands.

* * *

"You intend to play him, don't you?" Kat asked.

She leaned her head on her fist, staring at Marcel, crossing her legs. Marcel grinned, tipping back his shot glass.

"I like to protect my assets," he admitted.

Kat smirked, leaning forward a bit on the bar.

"I heard your Daywalkers had an episode in the Quarter at the festival the other night. Tell me about that," she requested.

She had a few minutes before Klaus was suppose to show. But Kat could feel him, hovering outside. Probably on his phone, putting more diabolical plans into action.

"An old friend, Jaiyana Mikaelson," Marcel replied. "She's been around forever. Left when I was a kid before I got to know her. And then she reappeared with Mikael."

"With?" Kat repeated.

She'd heard this story, heard Jay's side at least.

"He followed her back," Marcel replied.

He took another sip from his glass, his eyes focused on some far away place.

"She was injured, so I can't blame her much. Looked like she'd been tortured. From what I heard, Mikael had caught her, had managed to torture the location of his kids out of her. But Jaiyana lied, said they were elsewhere and then had escaped."

Kat stared, wondering why she hadn't heard specifics involving just how Mikael had tracked her. She hadn't known Jay'd been injured before she'd gotten to the Quarter.

"He followed her back," Kat realized.

"Yep," Marcel confirmed.

He smirked.

"I suppose I should be grateful to her," he mused. "She basically handed me this kingdom. But I lost a lot of good friends back then."

"Then blame Mikael," Kat snapped before she could stop herself. "He's the one who killed them."

"Too true," Marcel agreed. "But I can't very well get revenge on him, now can I?"

He was looking at her now, a suspicious edge to his eyes. Kat stared back, knowing she'd entered a very dangerous spot. She'd basically walked into a trap and had almost exposed her relationship with Jay but had saved herself last second.

"Those vampires," she said. "If they were killed by Mikael, couldn't Jaiyana have been one of them?"

She'd never used Jay's full name. It felt weird rolling off her tongue, as if she had a mouth full of marbles. Unfamiliar. She didn't have to play at that tone, much to Marcel's vexation.

"He's here," he announced. "Maybe you should go."

Kat turned, eyes finding Klaus instantly. He was heading towards them. Kat rose from her stool, pecking Marcel on the cheek.

"Call me," she said, though it was more instinct.

The few times she and Jay had had to settle down, briefly, in places, she'd go out with some sap and used the line on him. Made him feel wanted. With precise steps, she headed for the exit, passing Klaus. As she did, she smiled, slow and tauntingly. He was good, he didn't look her way but she knew he understood. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine she was working with Jay.

* * *

A shower would've been nice. But all her energy was gone. Jay had used the last of it to weakly stagger to the back of the house, to follow Klaus's "Don't let Hayley see you" rule. Now she was passed out on the steps back there, breathing in the night air. She could have called for help. After all, Rebekah was home but then, so was Hayley. So Jay stayed curled on the stairs, waiting, listening to the commotions of the house. The commotion of a family that she wasn't part of anymore.

* * *

Kat stopped by the cemetery, wandering through, in the hope of catching Jay. To no avail. Instead, she ended up just wandering, aimlessly really, because no one buried here was someone she knew. But it was quiet and for once, she didn't feel like she was being watched or judged. Or under suspicion. The fact that she was taking so much comfort by being around dead people was actually creepy. That's when her phone rang, startling her. With reluctance, she answered.

"Hello?"  
"Where are you?"

It was Klaus.

"Cemetery," she replied.

"Get Jay and return home," Klaus ordered.

"Jay's not here," Kat reported.

Klaus was deathly silent.

"Find her now," he snarled.

Then he hung up.

"Sir, yes, sir," Kat mumbled, trudging along.

* * *

A blanket fell over her, one that smelled like mint and moth balls. A gross combo but Jay clung to it like her life depended on it. Looking up, she discovered Elijah, standing over her.

"You're back," she said.

He kneeled beside her.

"Jaiyana, what are you doing out here?" he asked.

Jay shrugged.

"I spent the night in the cemetery," she replied as if that explained everything.

Elijah shook his head, slipping his hands beneath her and lifting. She breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed, probably glad to be off the cold ground. Her head lolled a little before finding a home in the bend of Elijah's elbow.

"Elijah?"

She was sleep talking but he figured it was best to indulge her.

"Yes, Jay?"

"I don't want the baby," she whispered.

Elijah paused.

"What?"

Jay's eyes fluttered. Soon she'd be asleep.

"I…Klaus and I made a deal," she explained. "I get the baby and he gets my help. But I don't want the baby. Not anymore."

She shook her head, trying to stay awake. Her blue eyes went to Elijah's shocked face.

"Am I still family?" she asked. "Am I still a Mikaelson?"

Elijah still seemed surprised, more pleasantly so than when he had heard about Jay and Klaus's deal.

"Yes, Jay," he replied. "You are a Mikaelson."


	5. Chapter 5

_ "You're looking much better this morning," Elijah greeted._

_Jay sat up a bit, stretching._

_"Good morning," she managed._

_Elijah sat on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on her brow._

_"No fever. I was not aware vampires or hybrids could get sick."_

_Jay rolled her eyes._

_"You're more than aware," she retorted. "And I am a special case."_

_"How special?" Elijah pressed._

_Jay was silent, locking eyes with him._

_"You never had blue eyes before," Elijah remarked. "Now you do."_

_Even then, Jay did not speak, face blank._

_"Jaiyana, please," Elijah said exasperated. "Our family has enough problems with Klaus. Must you keep secrets too?"_

_Jay sighed, tossing the blankets aside.  
"You wish to know my secret?" she asked._

_Her eyes went to the door, the very one Elijah had walked through and left open. Without warning, the door creaked shut, the lock turning with a small but pronounced CLICK! Elijah stood in alarm, looking from Jay to the door and then back. _

_"How-" he began._

_Jay looked up into his eyes. _

_"I work for witches. And not all of them pay in money. Food, shelter, money… and even power."_

_"What else can you do?" Elijah asked._

_"Nothing," Jay replied. "Only one witch has ever paid in powers. Not because she lacked money but because she wanted to."  
"Why?" Elijah asked._

_Jay's eyes were a deeper blue, her lips lifting a bit._

_"Because she was that strong."_

* * *

"Of the island please," Rebekah said, click clacking in.

Kat ignored her, instead propping her booted foot on the island, finishing a bite of her cereal. Rebekah paused.

"Some of us eat off that," she scolded.

"And some of us sit on it to eat," Kat retorted without missing a beat.

"Don't you have some seducing to do?" Rebekah sneered.

"Jealous?" Kat retorted.

"Of you? Ha!"

Rebekah tossed her hair.

"Marcel could not do worse! You are no class act. But what's to be expected from anyone, even distantly, related to Katherine?"

Kat's eyes flashed.

"Considering he's done you, I don't know if he can do worse."

Rebekah said nothing, clomping away, trying to play it off. Kat smiled, knowing her words had gotten to the vampire though. But was that really a good thing? Kat slid off the island, dropping her bowl off in the sink and heading towards the stairs that would take her up to Jay. She had come home to Elijah and Jay, which relieved her. She had been worried about Elijah, forgetting for a brief second her composure and hugging him tightly. Rather than push her away, which would have been reasonable given their cautious relationship, he had embraced her just as hard.

"Deep in thought, fellow hybrid?"

Jay's voice startled her, pointing out that she was indeed, deep in thought. Kat grinned, enveloping her in a hug.

"I'm glad you're alright."

"Kat."

Jay hugged her back but her voice was grim. Kat drew back, serious now.

"I told Elijah about…her," Jay said.

She glanced around when she said it. Kat tensed.

"Did you use her name?"

Jay shook her head.

"Good. They can't know who she is, ever."

Jay squirmed.

"Something else is bothering you," Kat realized. "Spill."

Jay sighed.

"The cemetery," she said. "I think it poisons vampires."

"Impossible," Kat said. "Rebekah and Elijah have been there."  
"I think it's a new development."

"These Quarter witches are up to something," Kat observed.

"They are," Jay agreed.

She sat on the stairs and Kat settled beside her, both hidden by the shadows.

"Kat," Jay began. "I think, just this once, we should fight against the witches."

Kat turned wide eyes on her.

"Why? They're your friends! And opposing them could ruin our reputations!"

"There's this thing called the Harvest," Jay began, words accompanied by a dead expression. "And right after it is the Reaping."

* * *

"Monsters," Kat fumed once again.

She and Jay were sprawled across Jay's bed, safely tucked away. Kat could not get over the Harvest.

"Mhm," Jay agreed, eyes closed.

"Poison?" she asked.

"Yep," Jay replied. "Magic poison can last pretty long."

"Who do you think poisoned the cemetery?" Kat asked.

"Mama Mikaelson once told me how. It's a complicated spell and is usually only known by the old ones. I suppose a witch elder."  
"So, Agnes?" Kat guessed.

Jay smirked.

"She hates anyone not human or witch. No wonder she wants to keep us out."

"Kat!"

Jay and Kat both jumped, Rebekah's voice not quite panicked but still surprising.

"I'll go see what she wants," Kat relented, rolling to her feet. "Stay here."

"No problem there."

Kat shook her head, leaving. She left the door open, allowing Jay to watch her walk down the stairs. Bored, Jay stared at the door until it swung closed. God, she hadn't used her last thread of magic in so long. It was amazing. Then tendrils of pain pulsed through her and Jay groaned, clutching her chest. Magic poisoning. It was something she'd never encountered personally but it sucked. And it hurt. She managed a ragged breath, then got up and followed Kat. She could hear Rebekah and Kat speaking, Hayley interjecting on occasion. Jay remained hidden as best she could. After all, when Klaus spoke, one listened.

* * *

Rebekah blotted the sweat from Hayley's forehead and chest. She was somewhat freaked. Kat shared the feeling, hovering in the corner.

"Quit fussing, will you? Elijah will be here any minute."

"I feel like I've been microwaved," Hayley complained.

She looked like she had been. Felt like it too. She was burning up, sweat drenching her body. Rebekah said something in retaliation but Kat's attention had strayed, finding Elijah leading Sophie. Unbidden, remembering Jay's explanation of the Harvest, Kat's fangs slid into view and she tensed.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Rebekah demanded, rising.

"I'm trying to help," Sophie said with a sigh.

She was watching Kat out of the corner of her eye. Smart girl.

"Help! You're the reason we're in this bloody mess! Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"

Kat was rarely in agreement with Rebekah but she turned off her fangs, turning to Elijah expectantly.

"Rebekah, let her do what she can," Elijah urged.

And just like that, Kat was no longer glad Elijah was back.

"I may know a way to slow the fever down. But, I'm gonna need some special herbs," Sophie admitted.

She looked at Rebekah.

"I'll text you a list."

Rebekah looked ready to argue, tamed by a nod from Elijah.

"Fine," she spat. "Happy to play the fetch girl."

She shoved the towel she'd been using into Elijah's chest and stomped out, Kat in tow.  
"What do you want?" Rebekah snapped, noticing her.

"I'm going to help you," Kat replied.

She grabbed her jacket as she passed the couch she'd thrown it on before she and Rebekah left. It occurred to her she should have informed Jay but her friend slipped her mind.

* * *

Jay rested against the stairs, much like the night before, her breathing shallow but controlled. She could only listen to the chaos around her. A familiar presence touched her mind and her eyes opened.

"So nice to feel you again," she whispered.

'Silence.'

The voice was serious, urging her to lower her defense. Rather than fight, Jay obeyed.

"Phesmatos omnio legares cardate."

The words sprung from Jay's mouth, a chant she'd read somewhere before.

"I can't breathe!" Jay heard, Hayley's voice a distant sound.

Elijah was there too but Jay was back in that small cottage, looking around the room. She finally spotted the witch's back, the one using her body temporarily. She stared for a few more minutes, waiting, tense, wondering if she'd get her body back soon.

"I shouldn't."

The witch was speaking to her. Had the spell succeeded? The witch turned, her face veiled, as always.

"You revealed the gift I gave you," she scolded.

"I can't lie to family," Jay argued.

"No, I suppose you cannot."

With a wave of her hand, Jay was back in her own body, still resting on the stairs. There was an eerie silence. Had Hayley survived? Creeping down the stairs, Jay ran into Elijah who was dripping wet.

"Is she alright?" she asked.

Elijah seemed surprised.

"Concern for another person," he marveled. "You have grown."

Jay rolled her eyes, earning her a tired smile from Elijah. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Yes. She and the baby are fine."

Jay smiled.

"Good."

She followed Elijah now as he headed for his room.

"What are you doing now?"

"I am going to bring back Klaus," he reported. "And then, we'll call it a night."

"Good. I need more sleep before I shake of this illness."

"When I return, I want a full account of this illness of yours," he informed her.

"Whatever you want," Jay promised.

She stopped, letting him go into his room before turning and hurrying back to her own.

* * *

_"Where's Marcel?" Kat asked._

_She was waiting on his front porch basically, being stared down by a drunk-off-her-ass vampire. Most likely a Night Walker. _

_"He went out," the girl slurred, falling almost._

_Kat took a delicate step back. She'd had to avoid the Mansion, Daywalkers latching onto her trail as soon as they spotted her. Either way, she'd been out all day and into the night. This was ridiculous! She was going to confront Marcel. Just as soon as she found him._

_"Where did he go?" _

_She was in no mood to go to a bar to track him down._

_"He went to go see Klaus. At his mansion."_

_This came from a vampire behind the drunken one. Kat's eyes widened._

_"Mansion?" she repeated._

* * *

She sped home, running straight through the door. She could hear Elijah in Hayley's room but thundered past it, right up the stairs and into Jay's room. It was empty, signs of a struggle everywhere. Her breath caught in her throat, pain in her chest as she looked around. Jay's phone was on the floor, ringing. Quickly, Kat swiped it up and answered.

"Jay?"

It was Tyler. What a horrible time to call.

"No, Kat," Kat replied.

"Where's Jay?"  
"I don't know."

Before Tyler could say any more, she hung up, glancing around. Wherever Jay was, she hadn't gone willingly. But it couldn't have been Marcel. Kat heard and felt Klaus's return, hurrying back down the stairs. He too was in Hayley's room.

"Marcel was here," she heard him say to Elijah.

The words stopped Kat in her tracks. She'd known Marcel was coming but not that he'd gotten here so fast. She was hyperventilating. Jay was gone, in Marcel's clutches. What would he do with her? Before she could stop herself, she cried out, a bloodcurdling scream of rage, panic and desperation, the force of it stealing her strength and sending her to her knees. She would kill Marcel. She would kill him.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked. "Surely this is not all about Hayley."

He was standing over her, surprise evident on his face. Kat managed to quiet her animal scream, still having trouble breathing.

"He has Jay," she managed. "Marcel took Hayley and Jay."

Klaus's eyes widened as he began to understand. The situation was dire indeed.

* * *

The eerie whistle drifted throughout the Garden, reaching Thierry's ears with ease. It turned into words and he waited, on edge, to see where it was coming from.

"Elohim, God on high Can you hear your people cry? Help us now in this dark hour."

It was almost like a prayer. With that as an introduction, Marcel appeared, behind him, two Nightwalkers dragged a girl he'd only seen in pictures. And she didn't disappoint. Her hair was dripping wet, a black curtain that hung in her face, sticking to her cheeks. Her eyes literally glowed, an almost icy color blue. Jaiyana Mikaelson. Thierry gulped, remembering all the times Marcel had heard her name and had freaked out. As she passed him, her eyes went to him, a creepy smile plastered on her face.

"Hoc est infanti malom, nos omnia perdeu il iam," she chanted. "This child is evil, we will lose it all now."

With that, she collapsed, head lolling onto one of the Nightwalker's shoulders. Her words still hung in the air though, an eerie poison.

* * *

**A/N: Keep in mind, the witch was purposly not named. Also, a note about Magic Poison. It's a spell that affects the selected species, in this case vampires. The longer they are exposed the more severe the effects, excluding death, because, vampires. It can affect mental functions, especially when a witch possesses you to help with an unlinking spell. So, Jay's a little unhinged right now. She's also in Marcel's clutches. DU DU DUUUUUN  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Weight pressed down on her chest. Familiar weight. She opened her eyes, no longer in her bed at Mikaelson Manor. She stood now in an elegant New York apartment. It was an illusion. A very strong one. Whistling, the witch waltzed into the room, her stomach protruding enough to hint that she was pregnant. Kat offered a smile.

"Ariel," she greeted.

Undeniably, Ariel was the strongest witch she had encountered. She did not hesitate to prove it either, using her magic to grant Jay her telekinetic ability and Kat her psychometery . Her powers promised to transfer into her future child and it did scare Kat a bit that there would be two witches with such power. Nevertheless, it was not her place to judge. Ariel took a seat on one of the black couches, sighing in relief. Her black hair was short, forming small curls that looked salon made but were natural. Her brown eyes zeroed in on Kat.

"Katalina," she greeted.

Kat nodded her greeting.

"I suppose you need something," Kat said.

She leaned forward, her knee pressing into the arm of a black leather armchair. Ariel grinned.

"I had to tell you," she said. "I used Jay a bit."

Kat nodded.

"I guessed. I know they severed the bond between Hayley and that witch but I knew it was too strong a spell for any young witch to do by themselves."

Ariel was still very young herself but she was an exception. For one, she wasn't a New Orleans witch, so she didn't rely on ancestry to strengthen her powers. No Harvest or Reaping for her.

"Jay was taken," Ariel went on. "And I'm afraid she's not exactly in the best mind set."

Kat was alert instantly.

"Do you know where she is?"

Ariel shook her head.

"Sadly, she's not sure where she is. She was so out of it when they captured her that she only knows she's underground."

Kat swore inside her head. How could this happen?

"Kat," Ariel said.

Her voice was fading. She was letting Kat go, the transition a gentle wind instead of a tornado, which was what Ariel used when she was upset.

"Be careful of Rebekah."

* * *

Jay licked her lips, hungry enough that her own wrists were looking appealing. But that would just be counterproductive. She let out a frustrated sigh, her hunger making her fangs ache. It wasn't too bad, not like it would be if she was just another vampire. Footsteps drew her attention from her own problems to one much bigger than herself. One that was an entire witch community's fault. Marcellus, aka Marcel. Jay lifted her chin stubbornly as he lumbered into the room, his entire attitude one of a man who'd one some prize.

"Jaiyana Mikaelson!" he greeted.

Jay's eyes hardened the second her spoke, her body radiating absolute hatred.

"Don't be like that," Marcel began.

He didn't get a chance to finish. Jay drew on her telekinesis ability, sending Marcel flying back on his ass. He sat up, shaking off the impact.

"You must feel amazing," Jay spat. "After all these years, you have me locked in your little dungeon."

Marcel flashed her a grin.

"Hey, I always knew I was your better," he bragged.

Jay sneered.

"I was a lady of high regard, from a noble family. Can you say the same, little slave boy?" she asked.

Marcel's brow furrowed in anger and Jay's sneer grew.

"Remember your place. You may have been Klaus's son but I was the one connection to his past he held onto," she bragged. "And when he finally heard I was alive, he sought me out."

Her words flowed easily, as they always did when she addressed Marcel.

"Did he even bother to look for you?"

Marcel said nothing but his silence was her answer. It was always his go to plan when Jay was winning whatever argument they had in the past. She would almost admit she missed their rivalry.

"You're no better than Klaus," Marcel growled, voice low. "You ran away!"

"I did no such thing. I left, temporarily. But I came back!" Jay objected.

"And look what you brought! You brought Mikael!" Marcel accused.

"And I would have died right then and there," Jay said. "If it weren't for a family of witches."

Jay locked eyes with Marcel, at the man the boy she'd considered a little brother had become. The love she'd once felt had soured with every passing day of his adult life and she was disgusted, that disgust freeing the path for hate.

"I know about the Harvest but I cannot condone this persecution. Pray I never get free because all bets are off. I will kill you."

Marcel grinned.

"Can you kill me? Really?"

"Once upon a time, I planned my first child. I wanted a son. His name would have been Marcellus. Instead, I became a vampire and you were given my son's name. Now you bring disgrace to it."

Jay's voice was cold as ice as she spoke, really driving the threat home. She could see Marcel's shock beneath his indifference as he realized she could indeed kill him if she got the chance.

"Yes, I really can kill you."

* * *

Rarely did she use her psychometery. It hurt a bit. The headaches, usually caused by a rush of information. An overload. Which was why she rarely used her gift. Now though, she eyed the front door, inches from touching it. She knew Jay had some complicated past with Marcel but she didn't know for sure what the nature of it was. Still, she had dyed her hair a god awful fire truck red to avoid being recognized by him so it couldn't be good. She touched the door, focusing intently on it. She saw flashes, visions of the many visitors that had touched this very door, their faces flashing behind her eyes. There was Josh, Klaus's new pet vampire. And there was Marcel. Kat pressed harder, seeing Marcel's little break in after Hayley had turned him down cold. She was following his trail, her body moving as his had moved, following his path. She was vaguely aware that he'd entered, immediately heading for the stairs. He knew the house. Her shoes found the stairs, carrying her up them. Marcel had known where Jay would be. An image of the house's past momentarily overtook her, revealing the same stair case. In that vision, the door to Jay's current room flew open and Jay and Klaus backed out of it, laughing, looking very much like a couple in love. Jay spun around, a smile in place.

"Hello Marcel!" she laughed.

Kat snapped out of her vision, collapsing on the stairs. There was the expected headache. One thing didn't make sense to her though. Marcel had come alone, snuck in and taken Jay. And he hadn't come back. That much Kat saw. So who had taken Hayley? With great reluctance, she rose, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. She cracked her knuckles. Round two.

* * *

Tyler paused, breathing in deeply, trying to identify the scent.

"I knew you were stupid but I didn't understand just how stupid."

Tyler whirled around, facing Kat. She leaned against a tree, her chestnut hair blowing a bit.

"When Klaus sees you, he'll have your head."

She didn't seem to bothered by that fact.

"Where's Jay?" Tyler demanded. "She should have been at the mansion!"

"But she wasn't," Kat said.

She shook her head, grinning.

"But you know where she is," Tyler realized.

"I also know she wouldn't want you here because Klaus may have given you reprieve but he sure as hell won't when he finds out you took Hayley."

Tyler was suddenly alert.

"How did you know about that?"

Kat's eyes flashed.

"How indeed?"

* * *

The voices carried, touching Jay's ears. She opened her eyes, recognizing Rebekah's. She listened to the girl, the traitorous girl as she spoke of betraying Klaus.

"Fool," she said, letting her voice be carried.

She wanted Rebekah to hear her. The Original did not disappoint.

"What was that?" Rebekah asked.

Footsteps echoed off walls and then Rebekah's head appeared in her line of sight.

"Jay!" Rebekah gasped.

"Don't betray Klaus," Jay advised. "You know he doesn't have a problem taking time away from you. And he always comes back. What do you think he'll do if he finds out you're plotting against him?"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Rebekah snapped. "You should worry more about yourself."

Jay grinned, the gesture twisted and somewhat unhinged looking.

"Worry?" she repeated. "Why?"  
Rebekah said nothing, turning on her heel and stomping away. Jay almost hoped she'd trip, anger threading through her. Despite that, she burst out laughing, knowing her seeming insanity would put the vampires trapped down here on edge.

* * *

Ariel did not like that. She could feel a witch's interference, messing with her tightly woven magic. She felt it like pins poking her in the back of her neck. And that was unacceptable. Like a woman swatting her overeager lover's hand away, Ariel forced back the witch's power, her own eyes darkening when she called upon her power, following the stream of magic to its source. The power she sensed was nothing compared to her own or the power she felt in her future baby. She almost laughed, gripping that power and ripping from it and absorbing it into herself. That would certainly hurt the witch who owned it and maybe she'd think twice about poking her nose where it did not belong.

* * *

**A/N: Let's see where else Ariel meddles, shall we? But later. I was determined to get this chapter over with. The latest episode gave me little room to put Jay and Kat but I am determined to put them in each episode somehow, if possible. And Kat's gift from Ariel is finally revealed.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

_ Kat watched the exchange between Klaus and Rebekah, remaining silent through it until Rebekah rose from her chair, breezing out._  
_"You have something to say," Klaus guessed at._  
_"If you keep instigating your siblings like that," Kat remarked. "They may just try to kill you."_  
_She rose, taking with her her plate._  
_"In regard to Elijah, do remember, even you would try a saint's patience. And Elijah is no saint."_  
_"But he tries so hard for sainthood," Klaus quipped._  
_Kat didn't reply to that, just shaking her head and rolling her eyes._  
_"Oh don't tell me you've become enamored with my brother as well," Klaus groaned._  
_Kat let out a dry laugh._  
_"It wouldn't be such a hard thing," she admitted. "He has already charmed Hayley and Jay."_  
_Klaus was upon her so fast that she sucked in a breath of air in surprise, looking up into his angry eyes._  
_"And where is Jaiyana, pray tell?" he asked. "I did instruct you to continue your tryst with Marcel."_  
_"A tryst ruined by your darling sister," Kat retorted. "A fact which you know."_  
_Emboldened, she held his gaze._  
_"Heed my words, if something should happen to Jay, you will regret that you put her in such a dangerous place."_  
_"Are you threatening me?" Klaus growled._  
_"No," Kat replied. "Merely passing on a message."_

* * *

_It was not hard to want to please Rebekah Mikaelson. She was... nice, pretty and generous. Not a snob like many of the women who crowed over Alexander. Unlike those women, Rebekah included Jaiyana in many activities. It was how Jaiyana met the Mikaelson boys. And they were amazing; handsome and polite packages practically born to woe a woman, sweep her off her feet. And while her brother adored Rebekah, going so far as to declare his love and consummate it, if he was to be believed when he spoke to his brethren in arms, he was wary of the Mikaelson boys. But Jaiyana was fascinated. She knew her own brother loved her but she knew she grated on his last nerve. She wished to be a Mikaelson, wished that Elijah were her eldest brother, Rebekah her only sister and Niklaus, oh Niklaus, he was amazing. No, she took that back. She did not want to be related by blood. Only by marriage so that she could wed Niklaus, could have his child and could warm his house to his liking as her mother had done for her father before her passing._  
_"What are you thinking?" Rebekah asked, sitting beside Jaiyana on the floor, her skirts arranged carefully around her._  
_"Fool's thoughts mostly," Jaiyana replied with a laugh._  
_Rebekah laughed as well._  
_"All this talk of fools," the blonde giggled. "The biggest fool of all is Niklaus there. He'll never best Alexander in a duel."_  
_"I find Niklaus to always be full of surprises," Jaiyana remarked._  
_"Who's side are you on?" Rebekah asked._  
_Jaiyana would have breathlessly said Niklaus but knew better within her brother's ear range, lest he scold her for it later. Or worse, speak to her father about it. He had the same feelings towards the Mikaelson boys and never allowed Jaiyana to be alone with them for even a moment._  
_"Perhaps you are right though," Rebekah sighed._  
_The laughter was still there but overshadowed by a hint of sadness as she watched the two boys._  
_"Klaus favors himself a king. I suppose that makes Alexander no better than a rebel."_  
_Jaiyana had said nothing at that time, confused by Rebekah's words and the sadness that had suddenly darkened her mood. Niklaus did not just favor himself a king, though. He was a king._

* * *

Jay opened her eyes, her body waking up as fast, as if she'd never fallen asleep. Yes, Niklaus was a king. And the Quarter was his kingdom. Instead of Alexander, the rebel was Marcel. And he would fall.

* * *

Kat tracked through the woods, her boots crushing through. She headed toward the smell of water, towards the drifting stench of unbathed werewolf and she knew she was getting closer. She wasn't sure if her blood could heal Elijah but the least she could do was try. At least until Ariel called her back. She paused, tuning into Ariel's magic as she'd been taught to.  
"Anything?" she asked, once more in Ariel's impressive apartment.  
"Hello to you too," Ariel greeted.  
She was setting a bowl of food on the counter for her ferret, Sebastian, who scurried over with glee. Ariel then turned her attention to a cup of tea for herself.  
"Excuse my manners. If you were here, physically, I'd offer you some," she said.  
"If it wasn't clear from my less than polite greeting, I need to know when Marcel's lackies plan to move on Klaus. I hear rumors that Jay's in the garden," Kat said.  
"Their plan is already in motion," Ariel informed her.  
Overhead, the sky darkened.  
"And I have a feeling Jay doesn't need your help."

* * *

Footsteps thundered through the tunnels and Tyler looked up, watching as Jay appeared.  
"Jay!" he said in relief.  
She looked like Hell, as if she'd been trapped in the tunnels as well.  
"What the heck are you doing here?" she demanded. "You were suppose to go to Caroline and start college."  
"I can't do any of that until I take down Klaus," Tyler declared.  
Jay's eyes narrowed as she studied him.  
"Come on, Jay! Free me!" Tyler urged. "We have to get free!"  
"I can't do that for you, Tyler," Jay admitted.  
"What?"  
Her fellow hybrid was confused.  
"I have loved few men in my life. My brother, my fellow prisoner, Marcel for a short time, when he was my son, Elijah," Jay said. "And Niklaus."  
"How can you love him? He's-"  
"A monster?" Jay finished. "Am I much better? Do you know I slaughtered hundreds when I was a vampire. Klaus paled in comparison to the slaughters I instigated. Those bodies still being dug up. Chances are I had a hand in them. I would slaughter whole families. For fun. And I look back and I don't regret a single one. Not the children who grew to adulthood, thinking that they were to be a vampire on their 16th birthday nor their parents who watched me carry their children away into the night as they bled out."  
Tyler was silent as Jay drew closer.  
"I like killing. I love it, really. If Kat had not come along and put me in my place, I'd still be killing. Do you know that much of my kills, Klaus has allowed to be blamed on himself?" she asked. "If he is a monster, then what am I?"  
Tyler couldn't find the breath to respond, bringing a small smile to Jay's face.  
"I must go assist my king," she said. "You are welcome to stop me, however, if you get free."  
She turned on her heel, striding away.  
"Your humanity had to be off," Tyler declared.  
He made her pause, glancing over her shoulder.  
"No, it was on," she declared. "I got no pleasure, otherwise."

* * *

He couldn't see her but he could smell her, that tiny slip of his inner wolf allowed him that one glimpse of Jay. Her scent filled his nostrils and when he looked from his chained state to glower at his traitorous sister and her lover, he saw a glimpse of her. He had called for allies, knowing deep down he'd get none. He actually had wished Katalina had come with him. But as Jay stood there, on that balcony, ready to leap to his aid, he didn't want her to. She looked weak and that wasn't all that stopped him. For all her faults, she hadn't betrayed him. He'd betrayed her, pushing her away again and again, hurting her over and over. And it had to stop. Strength pulsed through him, renewed him and he attacked with savagery, fueled by his desire to protect and the fear her saw in the eyes of his sister and Marcel. Marcel, his "son", his one gift to Jay when she still went by Jaiyana. She had been his wife, not too long ago, or the closest thing to it. And he had mourned her when he thought her dead. But now was time to be sad. He let it turn to anger as he killed.  
"Enough!"  
Marcel's desperation made him stop as the vampire bent down and picked up the coin, his gesture leaving the room in absolute silence. Klaus shot a quick glance at Jay who was grinning. Her grin made his confidence surge as he approached Marcel.  
"Well, well, well. The great Marcel, self-proclaimed king of New Orleans, bowing before me," he boasted.  
Marcel tossed the coin his way, obviously disgusted by himself.  
"There. I hereby pledge my allegiance to you. You have the keys to my kingdom. It's yours," he said, obviously choking over the words.  
Klaus responded with a smile but Jay's response was more boisterous. She laughed then, sounding absolutely mad. Marcel turned, surprised to see her.  
"You had no kingdom. You were merely a poor excuse for a rebel," she declared.  
She leaned over the railing a bit, winking at Rebekah a bit.  
"Who does he remind you of, Rebekah?"

* * *

"Marcel surrendered," Ariel reported.  
She had trapped Kat's astral self, refused to let her leave, refused to let her help Jay, insisting that she was fine.  
"And Jay?" Kat asked.  
"Never had to lift a finger," Ariel replied.  
"Why did you keep me here?" Kat demanded.  
She sat across from the witch, crossing her arms over her chest.  
"You never get tired of keeping Jay in check?" Ariel asked.  
"Of course I do. But-"  
"She's in full allegiance to Niklaus," Ariel went on, cutting Kat off. "She hasn't killed but she's willing, be it vampire, wolf, human or witch."  
"She'd never kill a witch," Kat argued.  
"She'd never kill a Deveraux witch. All the rest are fair game. Including myself."  
"This is what you're worried about?"  
"I have a duty to protect myself," Ariel snapped. "And my child."  
Kat rose from the couch.  
"Then move."  
"Or help me prevent the killing spree that will inevitably happen," Ariel bargained.  
Kat tensed, more in disbelief than rage.  
"What?"  
"Kill Jay before she loses it," Ariel urged. "Because she may just start with you."

* * *

Marcel passed Jay on his way from leaving Klaus, pausing to face her.  
"Happy?" he asked.  
"That vampires are dead?" Jay asked. "Saves me the trouble of having to kill them later when a witch contacts me."  
Marcel wanted desperately to snap her neck.  
"You brought this on yourself," she said. "All the places in the world, all the cities to conquer and you had to stick to New Orleans. Fool. When have you ever known Klaus to not get what he wants?"  
She chuckled.  
"I pity you, I mourn those wasted lives but yes, I am happy. Happy that this game is coming to a close," she said. "You were turning into a very dull toy."  
"You're sick!" Marcel snarled.  
"I am," Jay agreed. "But I'm not stupid."  
She brushed past him, joining Klaus as he watched the dead vampires burn.  
"You alright?" she asked.  
"Don't antagonize Marcel," he ordered.  
"Aye aye, captain," Jay quipped.  
She leaned against the railing.  
"Does this mean its over? That we won? That the Quarter is ours?"  
Klaus glanced her way and she let out a short laugh.  
"I mean, yours."  
"No," he said. "You had it right. It's ours."

* * *

Free of a very hormonal witch, Kat entered the mansion from the back, walking into one Hell of a tense room. Jay stood off to the side, in the corner, looking better than she had before she'd been taken. Her hair was still wet. Without a word or care for the others in the room, she marched over to Jay, wrapping her arms around her friend.  
"I am so glad you're okay," she whispered.  
"Me too," Jay whispered back.  
Drawing away, she discovered happy tears in her friend's eyes and knew her own were filling as well. With Marcel's surrender, she felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.  
"And where, pray tell, have you been?" Klaus demanded.  
Kat backed out of her hug, turning to the original hybrid who seemed to loom, like a shark that had found its bleeding victim. He hadn't moved though, which would have made him a dead shark.  
"I knew the fight started, I knew you had trouble but I could do nothing. For the past few hours, I have been stuck with a very powerful, very pregnant, very hormonal witch who held my astral form captive. I just want to get drunk."  
"Your intoxication will have to wait," Rebekah said. "I think Elijah has arrived."  
"You are free to go," Klaus said.  
He nodded at them both.  
"This is not a family matter. It is a matter of the King."  
Smirking, Jay took Kat's hand.  
"Let's go get drunk," she suggested. "It may be are less chance before he takes the throne and begins ruling with an iron fist."  
Kat followed, only to eager to be with her friend again.

* * *

"We're not going to get drunk are we?"  
Kat was suspicious as Jay led her to the kitchen.  
"Oh no, we are," she said. "And then we're moving out."  
"Moving out?" Kat repeated.  
"Klaus has his home back. He wants us to live there."  
"And Rebekah? Elijah?"  
"We get to stay here."  
This from Rebekah who walked in, clearly shaken but hiding it.  
"Which is much more than you deserve," Jay snapped.  
"He only wants you so he can use you!" Rebekah retorted in disbelief.  
Jay rose as Elijah walked in on Rebekah's heels. She immediately zoned in on him.  
"You said I was family, Elijah. And so family I will be. You get Rebekah's wonderful company and I will remain with Niklaus."  
"Wonderful!" Rebekah said. "Two loose cannons running the city, living under the same roof."  
"She's not a loose cannon with me around," Kat declared.  
She looked more at Elijah, given that she didn't like Rebekah, holding his gaze.  
"She is my friend and I will keep her in line."  
If only to avoid killing her, which she chose not to say out loud.  
"Good," Elijah said. "I wish you only the best."  
His words were said mostly to Kat but he did look at Jay, his expression making it clear that he indeed felt as though he was losing a sister.


	8. Chapter 8

"What is Klaus doing?"  
Kat's eyes never left her book as she asked the question. Jay, meanwhile, was tapping away on her laptop.  
"Hosting a dinner party," Jay replied.  
"And he didn't order you to go?"  
Kat was impressed. Was everyone's favorite control freak loosening his hold.  
"Oh no, he did. I told him I would only go if I could go naked," Jay replied.  
"And your head is still attached to your shoulders?"  
Jay looked at Kat.  
"Should we be worried?" she asked  
"I look at it as a step in the right direction," Kat admitted.  
Jay laughed.  
"Maybe one day he'll show the same leniency in Hayley."  
Kat groaned.  
"Oh, don't remind me. I hate having to watch her when he can't."  
"I think its fun," Jay retorted.  
"You're a sociopath. Anything that gives you something to do is fun."

* * *

Hands seized her from behind, dragging her back into the shadows with ease. Kat struggled only to be whirled around, facing Elijah.  
"Calm down," he urged, uncovering her mouth.  
Behind him were Hayley and Rebekah.  
"We need your help," Rebekah said.  
"Why doesn't it seem I'm as busy as ever?" Kat demanded with mock anger.  
In truth, she was bored, just following Hayley around.  
"Klaus is going to kill the werewolves in the bayou. He gave his vampires the go ahead," Hayley reported.  
Kat's eyes widened.  
"No," she declared.  
"Yes. We need you to come with us. You may be a hybrid but you smell mostly werewolf. They'll trust you."  
"I'm all for it. Just one problem," Kat said.  
"What?" Rebekah demanded.  
"Her."  
Kat pointed at Hayley.  
"Me?"  
"I've been ordered to play babysitter with Jay who takes that to mean that we work together. Otherwise its a terribly boring day."  
"Well excuse me for not giving you more cause for entertainment," Hayley snapped.  
"You want me, you have to distract Jay. And that's not an easy thing to do," Kat said.  
"What about Sophie? Can she-"  
"Jay's not too happy with witches right now," Kat informed them, remembering Jay's frustration with her sudden increase in power, courtesy of Ariel.  
Anyone else would have been thrilled but it just meant Jay's control needed an adjustment, which was becoming a pain for her.  
"Well this is just great!" Rebekah declared.  
"Look," Kat said. "Don't be hostile. Let them know you're here to help. I'll do what I can to stall the vampires before they head out. That way, I never leave the compound."  
"Good idea," Hayley praised.  
"I'll join you first chance I get," Kat assured Elijah, meeting his eyes.  
He nodded, holding her eyes a second more before he turned to Rebekah.  
"Take care of her," Rebekah ordered.  
"Have I done anything but?"

* * *

"I'm impressed. For once, you don't have me on Hayley duty and I expected to be put immediately on Davina duty. Instead, you treat me to an outing."  
She smirked, looking between Marcel and Klaus.  
"What's the catch?"  
"No catch. You're simply here to play guard dog," Marcel replied.  
"Woof," Jay threw back dryly.  
Klaus smirked.  
"Play nice, you two. And Jay."  
He paused, facing her.  
"We are taking back our city, our kingdom. I'm going to need your game face, love."  
Jay grinned, flashing fang as her eyes went wolven.  
"Perfect," Klaus declared. "Now stay. We'll be back soon."  
He left her, Marcel following as they left her alone in the middle of Rosseau's Bar. Jay sat, crossing her legs at the knee and leaning back, waiting. It was not like she had anything better to do until Klaus called her.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Hayley asked.  
"Jay's out, Klaus is out, Marcel's not here," Kat replied, tugging on a jacket. "Perfect time to go hunting for some werewolf hunting vampires."  
"You're really going?"  
Hayley was at a slight jog to keep up with Kat's brisk walk.  
"I was a werewolf, raised in an all werewolf compound," Kat explained. "I may be a hybrid but I never forget my roots."  
"But why would Jay not help you?" Hayley asked.  
"Jay was a vampire originally," Kat replied.  
She paused, looking at Hayley full on.  
"Make no mistake. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this because vampires have been killing werewolves for far too long."  
"I understand," Hayley declared.  
"Yes, I think you do," Kat said. "Now make yourself scarce. The only way this will work is if you don't draw too much attention to yourself."  
"Right," was Hayley's reply.  
As Kat left, she applauded the girl. But chided her as well. She was putting far too much faith in a hybrid of Klaus's.

* * *

Human blood. It had been too long since she drank from the vein and Jay was not too eager to let go, a fact that she sensed amused Klaus. He rose from the his own body, his eyes on the Father.  
"There he is. Our lone survivor. Such a sad day for our city," Klaus remarked, patting the man on his shoulder. "Some of its best and brightest killed in a tragic boating accident on the Mississippi. Rather nasty explosion, I heard."  
He locked eyes with Kieran in the eyes.  
"What am I going to do with you?"  
Jay slid her fangs free, not ashamed to admit she was excited by the prospect of more blood. Marcel rose then.  
"Okay, hold up. I've know Kieran for a long time. He's smart and he's fair. I think he can do us more good alive than dead," he said, sounding rushed.  
Which was good because Klaus looked like he'd happily end this silly human council and leave the city to the vampires.  
"Not to mention he's Cami's uncle. Don't see you care about much things - it's kinda hard not to notice when you do," Marcel added.  
Klaus made a face, backing down for now.  
"Very well. Use this reprieve to remake your human faction," he relented, his tone dismissive.  
"And how do you expect me to remake the Mayor?" Father Kieran demanded.  
Not a good tone to be taking when he was already on thin ice. Jay waited to see what Klaus would do.  
"Well surely there's a depute Mayor. Choose new leaders. Then we'll re-open negotiations."  
With that he left, tailed by Marcel. Jay stood, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.  
"You're lucky he gave you that," she said. "It use to be he left no survivors."  
With that, she followed the two that left to find Klaus waiting for her.  
"An outing worthy of all your hard work?" Klaus inquired, offering her his arm, as if they had traveled back in time.  
Nonetheless, Jay took it, grinning.  
"I haven't fed from the vein in so long. I forgot how good it tastes. So much fresher than baggies."  
"Agreed," Klaus chuckled. "And there is more where that came from."  
He smiled at her.  
"So much more."

* * *

_"See. You didn't even need my help."_  
_Kat emerged from the shadows, only a second after the vampires had run, joining Elijah and Rebekah. She approached, her expression turning serious as she saw the werewolves on the ground._  
_"Don't be afraid," she urged. "Believe it or not, they're the good guys."_  
_She crouched low in front of the werewolf._  
_"My name is Katalina Petrova. I'm a Petrova werewolf by origin. Who are you?" she asked._  
_She was tempted to use compulsion but didn't want to raise the guy's defenses too much._  
_"Cary," he replied, still eyeing Rebekah and Elijah. "I've heard of you."_  
_He managed to look at her long enough to let her know who he was referring to._  
_"You kill werewolves and vampires for witches."_  
_"I do," Kat replied. "Or I did. I'm settling down now. And I only killed rouges."_  
_Cary swallowed._  
_"You're friends with a vampire. A murdering vampire."_  
_"She's not that bad," Kat argued gently. "She's mellowed with age. Now, Cary, I have a few questions. Will you answer?"_  
_She had to get him to focus. Slowly he nodded and she looked upwards at the Mikaelson siblings._  
_"Ask away."_

* * *

Jay dozed on the couch, listening to the soft keys of the piano, letting the music soothe her.  
"Music calms the savage beast," Klaus had joked when she'd taken a seat.  
He was right, though the savage beast in question was her mind. She worried about Kat mostly. No doubt, her friend's absence meant she'd heard about the werewolf hunt and knowing her, had gone to stop it. Or save as many as possible. Neither mattered to Jay. But if those vampires so much as disturbed her usually flawless hair, they would die and she'd use their blood to paint her walls while their head would hang on her door as a morbid "Keep Out" sign.  
"I stink of the bog!" Rebekah announced, strutting in.  
"Serves you right, for your pathetic attempt to undermine my rule," Klaus threw back as Elijah joined them.  
His dismissal made Jay grin until she saw Kat enter as well.  
"Nik, listen," Rebekah urged.  
"When I order werewolves to be hunted to extinction I expect you to stand aside and let the blood flow," Klaus proclaimed.  
He already sounded bored of the conversation.  
"How delightfully democratic of you," Elijah criticized.  
He threw a ring to Klaus who caught it with ease, studying it.  
"Do you recognize it? Perhaps you don't, it has been a thousand years since you last saw it grace the hand of our mother. The ring was in possession of one of the very wolves whose extinction you just ordered. So naturally I questioned him. He spoke of a legend. A legend wherein long ago, a chief of theirs had fathered a child to a very powerful witch. Their mythology further states that this child, a son, was later transformed into something this clan had never before seen. Something werewolf and vampire," Elijah went on to say.  
Jay sat up, eyes wide, looking to Kat for confirmation. Kat would not look at her, her eyes dedicated only to Klaus.  
"Nik, we're trying to make amends. We found remnants of your family. The bloodline of your true father. And we saved them from being slaughtered at the hands of the vampires you command," Rebekah said gently.  
" Niklaus, your ambitions have come before this family for far too long. Niklaus, I beseech you please, come home."  
Elijah said the worst possible thing and Jay almost called him out. Klaus beat her to it.  
"What home? This pathetic substitute? You see, despite all your doubts, all you attempts to thwart me, I've reclaimed our true home. I took back the entire city!" Klaus boasted.  
"You have the audacity to boast of your victory when the mother of your child remains your prisoner?"  
"It all comes down to the pretty little wolf, doesn't it, brother?"  
Klaus sounded meaner than he usually did when angry, true hatred leaking into those words.  
"Stop it, both of you!" Rebekah cried.  
Klaus rose.  
"Even if this is what you say it is, I have had enough of family to last me a lifetime. Why would I possibly want any more?"  
His words cut deep and the hurt was evident on Elijah's face as Klaus left, leaving them with the haunting ghost of defeat.

* * *

"You cannot mean that!"  
Klaus fought not to role his eyes.  
"How did I know you would join me?" he asked.  
"You're upset," she said. "Don't lash out at me."  
She caught his arm, stopping him.  
"Niklaus."  
He was angry, not returning her embrace as her arms wrapped around him.  
"This is family," she whispered. "The anger, the hurt but there is love there. You know I'm right. Don't let innocent werewolves die. You know those vampires won't trust you. They'll never be loyal. They're biding their time."  
Klaus was silent, stone still. Jay was undeterred.  
"Would it not be best," she asked. "To have some werewolves backing you should they get out of line?

* * *

Kat waited for Jay to speak first, staring blankly at her friend. But she couldn't stand the silence further.  
"You're cozying up to Niklaus."  
"So?" Jay asked.  
"So? That dark place you were in was because of him. I can't go through that again. I can't reintroduce you to humanity and the joys of it again," Kat declared.  
"Then don't try."  
"Klaus will only turn you as a weapon. You were an unstoppable killing machine then. You slaughtered so many. You were the monster your brother thought he was killing."  
"Hello Pot," Jay snapped.  
She turned to go, obviously bored of the conversation.  
"Ariel made me promise to kill you if you snapped," Kat announced.  
Jay paused, looking over her shoulder.  
"She increased my power. If anyone is turning me into a weapon, its her."  
She seemed to suddenly seize onto a purpose and smirked, resuming her exit.  
"What are you doing?" Kat demanded.  
"I'm going to pay Ariel a visit," Jay replied. "You are welcome to join me but be warned, it won't be pretty."  
She ducked out and Kat sighed, following. No, it wouldn't be pretty.


End file.
